Building automation systems typically gather real-time data of building systems and present the information at an operations and maintenance center (OMC) so that an operator may monitor and control a building or facility. Examples of the real-time data that may be collected include operational states, events, alarms, and environmental sensor data, such as temperature, humidity, and light. This real-time data along with configuration data, i.e., data related to lights, thermostats, damper actuators, alarms, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) devices, sprinkler systems, speakers, door locks, and the like, may be stored in databases that are accessed by the OMC and displayed on a display. In general, a building automation system (BAS) generates and displays all of the information needed to monitor a building or facility and portions thereof.
The displaying of data at the OMC of a building automation system may occur in text reports and logical graphic displays of devices and points without scale (sometimes referred to as equipment graphics). In some known implementations, logical graphics display may be employed that resemble floor plans of a building with relative distance. The logical graphics display may be displayed in a computer windowing software environment that enables an input device such as a mouse to select devices depicted in the logical graphics display. Once selected, other windows may be opened that provide text or other information about the selected devices, such as events and alarms.
A known exemplary logical graphics display 100 of HVAC equipment on a computer display is shown in FIG. 1. The logical graphics display 100 depicts logical graphic icons (commonly referred to as “icons”) representing without scale a number of devices that make up air handling unit 102 in a building. The term “without scale” means the devices are shown next to each other in the computer display, but in reality the devices may be spread across multiple rooms, floors, and even buildings. The air from the air handling unit 102 is provided from vents to a preconfigured area of the building/room 116. In order for the air in a building/room 116 not to get “stale,” old air is removed (return air) from an area by exhaust vents as the new or recirculated air is provided (supply air) that enters the room 116.
The air handing unit 102 enables outside air 104 to enter the building 116. The outside air may pass through an outside air damper 106. The outside air damper 106 enables a portion of the outside air to pass, which mixes with return air. The mixed or supply air may pass through a supply air damper 108 and be conditioned prior to entering room 116. Air entering the room 116 is shown as passing by a temperature sensor 118, a humidity sensor 112, and through filter 120. A fan or source air mover 122 aids in moving the air. The air may pass through a source cooling coil 124 and/or source air heating coil 126. The supply or mixed air then enters room 116. The temperature sensor 118 and humidity sensor 112 typically would report their measurements back to the OMC continuously. In other implementations, the measurements may be reported back to the OMC periodically.
The air leaving room 116 is typically called return air and may pass through a return air damper 114. The return air may then divide between a path leading through the exhaust air damper 132 and eventually out of the building 130 and the mixed air damper 110.
The logical graphics display 100 may be displayed in a window 134 created by a window manager, such as MOTIF in LINUX™, or a windowing operating system, such as MICROSOFT® WINDOWs®. Typically a window may be moved within a display device or between display devices. Window 134 may also depict additional menus and buttons that may be used to control the window and items depicted in the display. A mouse input device (such as 234 shown in FIG. 3) may move a cursor in the logical graphics display 100 and select devices that make up the air handling unit, such as cooling coil 124. When selected, additional information associated with the cooling coil 124 may be displayed in the current window or a pop-up window. Color may be used in the logical graphics display 100 with each device depicted in the window having a green color for proper operation and red if an alarm or error condition exists. Additional colors or symbols may be employed to show the status of devices, such as switches “ON” or “OFF” and fans or vents “OPEN” or “CLOSED.” An example of logical graphics display includes a logical graphic display of an APOGEE® Building Automation System made by Siemens Industry, Inc., Building Technologies Division.
Logical graphics display such as that of FIG. 1 are normally custom created, and are used to show the logical structure of various field devices, commonly known as “points,” that may be found in any defined area or space of a building or other facility. In general, these field devices may be used for both environmental control purposes and security control purposes. In addition to logical graphics display icons, pop-up windows and drop-down menus that display real-time values indicating the status of the field devices, alarm lists related to equipment failure and violation of minimum/maximum values, etc., may be used in logical graphics displays. In general, an alarm is any status or state of a field device that requires notification to an operator of a BAS, such as an unsafe condition or a value outside a predetermined range. As an example, alarm lists may list all devices located in a building, with, for example, alarms indicated for temperatures above a maximum temperature in a red color, or vents open or closed in red or green, respectively.
Logical graphics display, however, lack scale or proportion between the individual field devices that are depicted, and do not include visualizations that show scale and distance of the individual field devices and their position within the building. More recently, Building Information Modeling (BIM) has been used in the design of buildings and other facilities, starting with the planning and design phase of a facility project and through the facility's construction and operation phases. In general, BIM refers to computer-aided design (CAD)-based software tools applied to the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of physical infrastructures. These software tools may be used by architects, mechanical/electrical/plumbing (MEP) engineers, structural engineers, and contractors to create their own BIM models that are then integrated into a single BIM model. The resulting single BIM model is able to generate realistic visualizations with scale that can be manipulated in whole or in part and individual components and assemblies that can be disassembled for further manipulation. A known exemplary geographic display 200 of the building space 202. is shown in FIG. 2, where 204 is a window in which the building space 202 is displayed.
BAS logical graphics displays and BIM-type visualization systems each have their advantages and disadvantages. The alarm lists of BAS logical graphics displays provide a good overall view of alarms, i.e., any condition of a field device requiring user intervention, that allow a quick selection of the critical alarms from multiple alarms in the alarms list and logical displays of information in screens that provide a clear and uncluttered overview. Also, today's users of BAS logical graphics display are typically familiar with these types of reporting and displays. Many current users of BASs are highly efficient in using them and these users are able to make decisions based on the logical relationship of the equipment depicted. A disadvantage is that the relative location of equipment is not clear in a logical graphics display, and therefore there is no display of proximity between equipment, rooms, locations of sensors, positions in a building, or distances between points; as an example, sensors and equipment providing heating/cooling may be located near windows, computers, servers etc. that may be adversely impacting the environment and sensors. Such information may be useful to a user in finding and resolving potential problems in the building.
As for BIM-type geographic display systems, their geographic displays are superior in displaying the (absolute and relative) position and proximity of devices such as, for example, all of certain devices in any given room or building. Decisions based on the relative and absolute position of equipment can easily and correctly be made. The disadvantages are that if the individual pieces of equipment are connected, e.g., part of a cooling/heating system, such decisions may not be made so easily because of the equipment may not appear in the visualization. Other disadvantages are that in a geographic display of information it may be more difficult to see the complete logical system because of the amount of information and location of all of a particular type of device, e.g., fire and security alarms and temperature sensors. Other significant disadvantages are the costs and training required to use BIM-type geographic display systems properly and the fact that there are many older, pre-existing facilities designed without using BIM systems. Further, BIM design capabilities typically cannot be easily incorporated into these pre-existing facilities.
Therefore, what is needed in the art is an approach that combines and synchronizes BAS information and BIM-type information that can be displayed at an OMC and that also enables a user to select the information he needs to view from each type of information.